Child Abuse Prevention

Child Abuse Prevention

“Lest we forget.” These are words that hold great meaning for students in the Penn State York Council on Family Relations (PSY-CFR) Club as they prepare for the fourth annual candlelight vigil for child abuse awareness set for Thursday, Nov. 13. The event will take place at 5 p.m. at the Nittany Lion Shrine Plaza in front of the John J. Romano Administration Building, 1031 Edgecomb Ave., in York, and is free and open to the public. In case of inclement weather, the event will take place inside the building. The Student Veterans Association (SVA) is also sponsoring the vigil.

Recent legislation enacted in Pennsylvania to protect children and prevent child abuse and neglect will substantially strengthen the efforts of Centre County's new -- and first -- children's advocacy center. The Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) of Centre County opened in February and shares a building and partnership with Mount Nittany Health. The center, which received a jump start in 2013 with a contribution from Penn State, promotes a compassionate, multi-disciplinary approach to the prevention, identification, intervention and treatment of child abuse.

Preventing child abuse and improving safety on campus is a shared responsibility that requires continued vigilance in our community, and Penn State is among the first institutions in the nation to require annual training to help individuals spot the signs and report suspected abuse. The Office of Workplace Learning and Performance has been working collaboratively with ITS Training Services to launch the Workplace Learning Gateway, an online portal for employees to access the appropriate training they may need in one place and at their convenience.

Penn State's professional program designed to help individuals recognize and report suspected child abuse is now available online for University employees. Approximately 3,500 employees have completed the "Reporting Child Abuse" program since it went live on Feb. 28. In addition, more than 11,000 people also have completed Penn State's face-to-face training for identifying and preventing abuse.

Penn State has infused more than $1.1 million into its newly established Center for the Protection of Children, based at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. That figure is more than twice the amount promised in December, when creation of the center was announced. The University also donated $1.5 million in December to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR).

"Back in December, we estimated that we would have $500,000 available from our football bowl revenues after deducting the $1.5 million we promised to PCAR, so that's what we earmarked as start-up funding for the center," said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. "Our bowl revenue came in higher than expected, which is tremendous news, so we were able to provide the additional funding. We expect that the center will become a national leader in clinical care, research, education and direction of policy related to child abuse and neglect."

In the wake of the allegations concerning Penn State employees released in the grand jury presentment last week, the Law School community has been struggling along with the rest of the University community and public to come to terms with the horrific details as they emerge. According to Dean Philip McConnaughay, "We feel deep sadness for the children involved, outrage at their alleged treatment, and shame over allegations that members of the University's administration may have missed opportunities to expose and stop the alleged abuse."